Review: One Plus One by JoJo Moyes

Good thing I do not have very strict rules about what I'm willing to read. If I did, I might not have given JoJo Moyes's delightful One Plus One a try.

Although I'm not a dedicated fan of contemporary women's fiction, I need to remember that some authors, like Moyes, can take the basic formula and create something fresh. The major plot points may offer few surprises, but the journey from one stop to the next is where to find the heart of this novel.

What's all about? Hardworking but poor Jess Thomas remains upbeat and hopeful even after her husband leaves her to raise their math-whiz daughter and his Goth-silent son all on her own. When ten-year-old Tanzie has a chance to go to private school on a partial scholarship, Jess is tempted to do something ethically questionable to give her daughter a bright future. Meanwhile, successful dot-com entrepreneur Ed Nicholls is accused of insider trading after he divulges information in a desperate attempt to break up with a clingy girlfriend. Of course, the Thomases hook up with Ed, who ends up driving them to Scotland so Tanzie can participate in a math contest (the prize money would pay her remaining tuition). As you can imagine, the road trip is full of adventures and personal growth as the four learn to ask for both help and forgiveness.

Plotting and characters. If you boiled One Plus One down to its bare bones you would find the typical story of girl meets boy, girl doesn't like boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl and boy have a misunderstanding, girl and boy finally get back together. Fortunately, there is a lot of meat on this skeleton, and Moyes adds depth and humor as she takes us through these phases of her newest novel. One of Moyes's strengths is her characters, and we fall hard for the flawed but good-hearted people who pile into Ed's car that fateful day. We cheer on Jess, whose attitude to all problems is, "We'll sort something out." We cross our fingers for Tanzie who loves numbers more than people and needs a safe place to thrive. We want to protect Nicky, who has been abandoned twice and is the target of the neighborhood bullies. And we wish we could straighten out Ed, who is caught between his loyalties and selfishness and never meant to do wrong. We can't wait so see what they'll learn about themselves and each other after being locked in a slow-moving car for days on end.

Themes, issues, things to think about. Through the personalities of and interactions among the four main characters, Moyes explores bullying, friendship, family, love, honesty, ethics, the socioeconomic divide, forgiveness, and parenting. Among several takeaway messages this may be the most prominent: No matter how independent and self-sufficient you want to be, it's not a weakness to ask for help when you really need it.

Overall thoughts and recommendations. Good characters, thoughtful issues, and plenty of humor make JoJo Moyes's One Plus One the perfect weekend read. Jess and the gang remind us that it's never too late to create the family we choose and through that family we find our strength.

Audiobook. One Plus One is told from multiple viewpoints, and the unabridged audiobook from Penguin Audio (12 h, 19 min) highlights this by using four narrators (one each for Jess, Ed, Tanzie, and Nicky). Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola Stanton, and Steven France make a great team, each one nicely conveying his or her character's personality. All the narrators were new to me, and I'm not sure who read which parts, but the performances blended well together, making this an enjoyable listen.

Penguin USA / Pamela Dorman Books, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780525426585
Source: Review (both print & audio) (see review policy)
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